Sexual abuse charge by Kelly Cutright is tip of iceberg of similar complaints filed against US gymnastic coaches

Team USA Gymnastics — 2016 Rio Olympics - Rhythmic Gymnastics - Preliminary - Group All-Around Qualification - Rotation 1 - Rio Olympic Arena - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 20/08/2016. Team USA (USA) compete using ribbons. Reuters/Mike Blake

Sexual abuse stories abound in a military setting, sports training, academic institutions and other places where there exist mainly a mentor-follower relationship. One of the mentors accused of sexual abuse is USA Gymnastics coach William McCabe.

The accusation came from former gymnast Kelly Cutright. However, Inquisitr reports that McCabe’s case may be just the tip of an iceberg since USA Gymnastics is said to have a sexual misconduct file with complaints of sexual abuse against more than 50 gymnastics coaches.

The website claims most of the complaints were never elevated to authorities. Robert Colarossi, former president of USA Gymnastics, in an earlier deposition, explains he inherited a policy if dismissing allegation as hearsay, unless it is signed by a victim or the victim’s parents.

It cites the case of McCabe who had complaints as far back as 1997 for allegedly exposing his genitals to some gymnast. He has also been accused of uttering improper sexual comments about his young female gymnastics trainees between 1998 and 2006.

But the complaints were said to be unfounded which explains why McCabe continue to coach for USA Gymnastics. He started to coach Cutright in 1998 when she was 13 at the International Gold Gymnastics in Tallahassee, Florida, reports Newsmax. She initially resisted his advances, but because the young gymnast feared for her life and her athletic career, she eventually gave in to McCabe’s advances which lasted for three years.

In 2006, McCabe was arrested on charges of sexual abuse of children, sexual exploitation of children and making false statements. The former coach is serving a 30-year prison term. There is a separate civil lawsuit filed in 2013 by one of the parents of McCabe’s victims against USA Gymnastics.

Cutright is seeking for USA Gymnastics’ sexual misconduct file, now in the court’s possession, for release to the public to warn who of the coaches have been accused of sexual abuse. Georgia Judge Ronald Thompson in Effington County was scheduled to hear Cutright’s request on Monday to unseal depositions in cases related to McCabe and the sexual misconduct files.

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